IS THIS A ROOM and DANA H will play Broadway in Rep

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:17am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tina-Satters-IS-THIS-A-ROOM-and-Lucas-Hnaths-DANA-H-Will-Play-in-Repertory-on-Broadway-This-Fall-20210714

HOLLLYYY SH*T!!!!!

This news will mean nothing to some people, but my heart leapt out of my chest when I woke up to this news. "Is This a Room" was my favorite piece of theatre in the 2019-2020 season. I F*cking loved it. It's an absolutely stunning, brilliant piece of theatre. 

And I loved Dana H too!!! Holy crap! 

Not only that, theses 2 pieces go really well together. I totally understand why they're being done in rep. They played at Vineyard in the same season, and made for great companion pieces. 

Normally I'm very much in the camp of like "not every great Off-Broadway show needs a Broadway transfer to be valid! Let off-Broadway be enough!" and i do believe that. But I still can't help but feel exhilarated when pieces I loved get this kind of visibility and recognition. 

 

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:37am

I’m very excited as I missed both and really wanted to see them. They feel like incredibly tough sells at Broadway prices, though. I’m surprised by all of this, but perhaps most so that they’re doing them in rep and not as a combined bill. Both shows together would come in at what, 2:40 including an intermission?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:39am

this is fantastic

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:45am

This is f’ing fantastic news. DANA H. is one of the best things I’ve seen in years and I had been really wanting to catch IS THIS A ROOM so I’m glad to see it being given more life. What an excellent pairing of material also. Can’t wait to get tickets.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:49am

@Sauja

Now I wonder if a double bill would've been better for them, since they are both pretty short. But 2h40m is a long evening for 2 unknown plays and both pieces together might be kind of exhausting

I agree about Broadway prices, but that’s where we are right now. You can say that about so many of the shows playing this fall, but I guess the mentality is that they will bring in a local audience. I don’t doubt that there will be heavily discounted tickets though. I guess we’ll find out, but either way, I’m excited that these shows are getting a future life with more visibility.

Plus, they are both incredibly cheap to run, and will have very low capitalizations.

Updated On: 7/14/21 at 09:49 AM

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:56am

@JBroadway

For sure! Totally agree. Don’t get me wrong. I’m delighted to see adventurous new work on Broadway period. Full stop. And I’m thrilled that these artists are going to be employed. I could make some argument about how my concern is rooted in whether people will pay these prices, but let’s be honest. I’m really mostly just concerned about the health and well-being of my own credit card. Lol. Especially because these both seem like works where you want to be close to the stage, so the balcony seats probably won’t be the right choice.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 9:59am

This is obviously out of the box but it may well succeed where much else will fail. Why? (1) These are definitely shows directed at local rather than tourist audiences. (2) They are cheap to produce, especially this way, and will not need to sell at full price to survive. (3) The demand requirement is cut in half without wasting the space for half the time because the supply is cut in half. (Cf. shows like Chicago that are reopening to <8/wk. (4) Matt Ross understands markets better than many/most producers. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 10:03am

This is totally exciting! And I think a great idea. I know most hate the balcony in the Lyceum. But it’ll prob be a cheap ticket.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 10:16am

@Hogan - good point about the supply/demand. I hadn't even thought of that angle. 

 

I hope full original cast of Is This a Room transfer. They were all fantastic, and it's such a tightly-knit ensemble - they have to work together totally seamlessly for the play to work. And Becca Blackwell is such a delight - I would love to see them make their Broadway debut.

Plus it might make history? Has there ever been a Broadway play with 2 transgender actors playing roles that have nothing to do with being trans? 

[52889j]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 10:54am

Both absolutely brilliant pieces of theatre that are going to move the medium forward. I fear I will be quite insufferable to everyone I know this fall and will be asking them if they've seen both every time they see me. 

[JoeyEvans1206]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 10:57am

Such great news! IS THIS A ROOM was the best show I saw in 2019. Thrilled additional audiences will be able to catch this fantastic piece.

Grateful for a second chance to see DANA H. Always willing to give a Lucas Hnath a chance and I've heard nothing but positive reviews for this show!

Excited to see how this model will play out. Kudos to the Vineyard and this team of producers for giving it a shot!

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 12:08pm

This is a very welcome surprise! I'd been meaning to see Dana H before things went to hell and didn't expect it to return!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/14/21 at 1:30pm

Another thought that occurs to me: 

Now that we are starting to get verbatim theatre performed on Broadway, it just provides further evidence that the "Best Play" Tony should be split up between script and production. In my ideal world, "Is This a Room" would win "Best Production of a Play," but it would be a shame if Tina Satter won for a verbatim script (even though I'm so impressed by what she did with it) when there are so many original play scripts on Broadway next season that were born from actual playwriting. 

Again, this is not a slight to Satter in the least (obviously, because I adored this piece). It's just the nature of verbatim theatre. There's nothing wrong with it, but it shouldn't win any awards for writing. 

Since I'm on the topic, I still think it's a little bit annoying that Dana H is credited as "By Lucas Hnath," when he didn't write a single word of it. It should be "conceived by" and/or "created by." Again, I'm not saying he didn't put work into it, just questioning how that work should be indicated. 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 7/22/21 at 7:49pm

these are easily #1 and #2 on my list this fall

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/23/21 at 11:36pm

I wonder how Dana H will work in the Lyceum. It’s one of my least favorite theatres due to the height of the stage. Every time I’m close to the stage it’s awful. It’s so high.

I hope this means Deidre is nominated for and possibly wins a Tony. She’s truly one of the best under used and under rated actresses out there.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 9:35pm

Those of you who saw both plays, which one was your favorite and which one would you recommend over the other? Thanks.

Updated On: 8/21/21 at 09:35 PM

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 9:57pm

gibsons2 said: "Those of you who saw both plays, which one was your favorite and which one would you recommend over the other? Thanks."

Dana H. Hands down. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 10:56pm

ClydeBarrow said: "gibsons2 said: "Those of you who saw both plays, which one was your favorite and which one would you recommend over the other? Thanks."

Dana H. Hands down."

 

Hmmm, personally disagree on that one. I liked Dana H a lot, but Is This a Room, for me, was on a whole other level. Not necessarily in terms of quality, just in terms of my own reaction. Rarely have I been so riveted, and so blown away by a use of form. Dana H is way better than the average narration monologue play, but it is effectively a narration monologue play at its core. Is This a Room was unlike anything I had seen before, in the way it built up the most intense tension in these seemingly casual conversations. 

You can't go wrong with either, and I definitely understand those who prefer Dana H. But since you're asking the thread, I have to passionately put in my vote for Is this a Room. 

[ooblogway]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 12:15pm

Whenever we've wondered why more shows don't run in rep on Broadway to share costs, we were always told that it was due to unions and their costs would make it cost prohibitive. Wonder what changed (apart from obviously vacant houses due to a pandemic)?

[Sauja]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 12:31pm

I hope no one will mind if I ask for some seating recommendations. I tend to always pick the cheapest tickets and have probably seen shows from the last row of almost every Broadway theater. So the $39 tickets for the balcony for each of these are hard for me to say no to. That said, from the relatively little I know, they both seem like they might be plays that are especially intimate and that there might be quite a lot lost further from the stage. 

 

As I waffle over my own cheapness, I'm torn between going with my usual M.O. and grabbing balcony seats, deciding to upgrade to a $79 rear mezz seat, or even (gasp) paying full price for orchestra seats? As I'm having trouble deciding, I would love ANY feedback from folks who have seen either show. I think I'm especially worried about how well Dana H. will translate to a bigger space.

 

In any case, any feedback is super appreciated!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 12:43pm

Sauja, just wait to buy tickets. There is no world in which these productions will sell out, and they will likely be discounting heavily (not unlike Pass Over) for Orch/Mezz seats.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:01pm

Sauja said: "I hope no one will mind if I ask for some seating recommendations. I tend to always pick the cheapest tickets and have probably seen shows from the last row of almost every Broadway theater. So the $39 tickets for the balcony for each of these are hard for me to say no to. That said, from the relatively little I know, they both seem like they might be plays that are especially intimate and that there might be quite a lot lost further from the stage.



As I waffle over my own cheapness, I'm torn between going with my usual M.O. and grabbing balcony seats, deciding to upgrade to a $79 rear mezz seat, or even (gasp) paying full price for orchestra seats? As I'm having trouble deciding, I would love ANY feedback from folks who have seen either show. I think I'm especially worried about how well Dana H. will translate to a bigger space.



In any case, any feedback is super appreciated!"

Just like you, being a NYC local, I tend to buy low cost/last minute tickets for the shows. But my experience has been ruined a few times when I had to watch intimate plays from rear mezzanine because I went for the cheapest ticket. Although the Vineyard presale is still active ($85-95 for prime orchestra), I'm also agonizing between booking amazing seats or waiting for TDF/further discounts. Especially now that I've been convinced that I must see both plays based on the recommendations... 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:25pm

gibsons2 said: "Sauja said: "I hope no one will mind if I ask for some seating recommendations. I tend to always pick the cheapest tickets and have probably seen shows from the last row of almost every Broadway theater. So the $39 tickets for the balcony for each of these are hard for me to say no to. That said, from the relatively little I know, they both seem like they might be plays that are especially intimate and that there might be quite a lot lost further from the stage.



As I waffle over my own cheapness, I'm torn between going with my usual M.O. and grabbing balcony seats, deciding to upgrade to a $79 rear mezz seat, or even (gasp) paying full price for orchestra seats? As I'm having trouble deciding, I would love ANY feedback from folks who have seen either show. I think I'm especially worried about how well Dana H. will translate to a bigger space.



In any case, any feedback is super appreciated!"

Just like you, being a NYC local, I tend to buy low cost/last minutetickets for the shows. But my experience has been ruined a few times when I had to watch intimate plays from rear mezzanine because I went for the cheapest ticket. Although the Vineyard presale is still active ($85-95 for prime orchestra), I'm also agonizing between booking amazing seats or waiting for TDF/further discounts. Especially now that I've been convinced that I must see both plays based on the recommendations..."

I'm also waiting until Dana H starts to buy tickets. I'd like to hear how they are staging it and the height of the stage. I got very close tickets for two shows at the Lyceum and I craned my neck and had an awful view. The stage was so high. 

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:42pm

Regarding Dana H: almost all of the performance happens downstage center. I saw it from the front row at Vineyard which was fine, but the Lyceum deck might have you craning your neck up at her. Also, one interesting thing to note: the performance is done entirely in lip-sync, and it's VERY impressive how smooth it is. But still, Ms.O'Connell is only human, and obviously couldn't do it 100% accurately. The closer you are, the more you might find yourself paying attention to the small discrepancies (and I do mean SMALL). Sitting further away might maintain the illusion a bit more. 

Regarding Is This a Room: the staging is pretty sparse, but the actors move around the space in a way that it creates dynamic stage pictures. Probably better to have a bit of distance. 

Both plays are pretty intimate, so I'm guessing the balcony won't be ideal. But it's not the biggest theatre in the world, and I'm sure one could still enjoy the plays from those seats. 

 

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:43pm

the balcony at the Lyceum is awful, I would highly discourage anyone from buying seats way up there